Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. Why Trust Us? So, why do people have them? A person might see a particular stimulus—like, say, a boot—while they're sexually aroused, and eventually come to associate arousal with boots. Plus, grouping an object or body part together with orgasm might prompt a person to seek out that same object or body part in the future because the brain expects the same reward, Lehmiller adds.
Curious about these different forms of sexual play? Read on to find out what exactly a kink is, a list of common fetishes, and what to keep in mind when exploring them. Put simply, "a kink is a non-conformist interest in a sexual activity," says Gloria Brame, PhD, a sex therapist and certified sexologist based in Athens, Georgia.
So, instead of being turned on by genitals—which is considered a pretty traditional sexual attraction—"a kink is liking to do something different with the body," she says. Now that you've got the baseline definition down, here are 27 kinks and fetishes you should know about, from A to Z:. Age play is a kind of fetish that involves an exchange of power, says Jill McDevitt, PhD, a sexologist and sexuality educator at CalExotics , an online sex toy shop. In this role play activity, partners act as if they are different ages than what they actually are.
Age play can also be categorized as a form of dominance and submission play, where the partner playing the younger person is often the submissive. On a similar note, paraphilic infantilism is another fetish that describes someone who derives sexual pleasure from dressing up as, or acting like, a baby. Although it's not exactly the same thing as role playing as someone of a different age. That said, this kink should be exercised with caution as any kind of bondage that is too tight is not only uncomfortable, but can cause permanent nerve damage, Queen warns.
One common safety exercise is to use a safeword , which signals that the activity needs to end immediately. As with all fantasies and dirty talk, this is not a kink to spring on your partner when things are getting hot and heavy. The act calls for one person to watch their partner have sex with someone else or listen to stories about their partner having sex with someone else.
